Valve for sprinkler systems.



APPLICATION FILED APK.^3.19II.

Patented Dc.

www

VALVE FOR SPRINKLER SYSTEMS.

Application filed April 3, 1917.

T0 all 'whom t may concern Be it known that I, DWIGHT F. KILGOUR, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Lexington, in the county of Middlesex and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Valves for Sprinkler Systems, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying` drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts,

This invention pertains to improvements in valves for sprinkler systems and more particularly, though not exclusively, to valves for so-called dry sprinkler `systems provided with alarm n'iechanisms.

In the drawings: f

Figure l is a section partly in elevation on the line l-l of Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a valve and is au illustrative embodiment et a preferred construction oi." my invention.

In the valve which l have selected for pur poses ot' illustration, I have shown a cylinder 3, to which is connected a walter supply pipe 4 and a discharge pipe 5, the latter being connected to the distributing; pipes carrying the sprinkler heads. One end of the cylinder 3 is preferably closed by the cylinder head (i, while the other end ot' Lthe cylinder 8 preferably carries a head T hav ing a small diameter cylinder 8 coaxial with the cylinder 3..

ln the cylinder 3 l preferably provide, as shown, a valve includingtwo pistons 9 and l() connected by a valve stein 11, `the latter extending` through the cylinder 8 and through a stutling-box in the cylinder head 13 to a handlel/l.

The valve stem 11 carriesa piston 12 in the cylinder 8, the pistons --10-l2 preferably being spaced apart by tubular spacers lll, l5 and the pistons and spacers being held in proper relartion to the valve stein by nuts 16-17.

A. pipe 18, receiving suitablepressure supply the water supply pipe fl, top ol the cylinder 8.

Under normal lconditions the valve remains in the position shown in Fig. water under pressure being admitted between the pistons 9 and l0, which being otequal area are balanced. 'Water from the pipe 1S acting on the top ohe piston l2 tends to movethe valve downwardly to open posiprcssare 4trom any but preferably from is connected to the Specification of Letters IPatent.

Patentes nee. saisis.

seran No. 159,573.

more Jfully described, is open, thereby admitting pressure lto the top et' the piston 9 and insuring outward moven'icnt ot the piston l() until it abuts on the cylinder head 6, leaving a substantially clear passage for" the water from the supply pipe 4 t0 the discharge pipe 5. The relation Of'the discharge pipe 5 t0 cylinder head T and the piston l0 is preferably such that the piston 10 is substantially and entirely within the dead end 2O of the cylinder 3.

the cylinder end 20, have provided a round escape valve '21, having a slot there To rmit the escape oi' any water or air which may he vcaught in in, and held` in place by the friction of the packing in the stalling-box 23. lVhen the piston l0 in the position shown in Fig. 1, the iressure of the air on the rclativel i small l t area oli the escape valve Q1 is not su'lieient tn expcl the escape valve trom the cylinder. ll'hen, however` the nut 16 on the piston l0 strikes the endet the escape valve 2l, the

latter is pushed out of tluf cylinder), `giving-2,'

' an opportunity for the escape ot air or water through the slot :22.

In the normal position ot the valve shown in Fig. l, no water pressure is admitted above the piston 4i), and any water which may leak past said piston has an opportunity to escape through the check-valve 24. which 'will not. scat unless a yconsiderahle flow of water tries t0 pass therethrough.

The bcfore-dcscribed mechanism constitutcs a prct'erred torni ot unbalanced pressure fluid controlled dry sprinkle-r valve` and preferably copcratcsnvith alarm mechanism of both the electric andprcssurc fluid actuated types. 'lo this end l have shown an :iran-30 }nojectin,- ^l trom the handle ll and connected by :i rod 3l to 'theI lever l. fnlcrumcd at 3lou an arm Si projecting; l" rom the cylinder 8. Carried by the lever 3:8 is an electric terminal 235 adapted to contact with an electric terminal 1%(3 carried by a sector EET on the arm 3l. rl`he relation ot the termitact will be made as soon as the piston 10 moves sufficiently to admi't Water to the discharge pipe 5. The water actuated alarm is preferablv actuated by water passing from the cylinder 3 through the cock 40, the latter being connected hy the. lever 4l and connecting rod 4.2 to the lever The valve 40 is preferably so arranged as to open soon as the upper side vof piston l0' passes the upper side of discharge pipe 5, thereby admitting water to the latter. As soon as the valie or cock 10 opens, some of the pressure tluid passing therethrough goes to the water' alarm valve, While some of such water passes to the ley-pass pipe 50, thereby admitting pressure to the top of the piston il. the hy-pass pipe 50 to cause the cheek-valve 24 to seat.

ln the event that water-hammer occurs, the pistons 9 and lO will have no tendency to move the valve, because they balance each other. Water in the pipe 18 may transmit some variations in pressure to the piston 12,

' l'but such variation will be greatly lessened lby reason oit' the relatively small size ot the pipe 18, and the increased pressure on the piston l2 will in any case. be small because ot the small area. v

In case, however, the pressure from the waterhammer momentarily puts greater pressure on the piston 12 than the compressed air puts on the piston l0, the reciprocatory positions of the valve mechanism may move toward discharge position, but the piston 10 does not move sufficiently to open the connection between the pipes 4- and 5, and the air pressure-Will in'in'iediately return the piston to its initial. position.

While I have shown and described one embodiment of my invention, il, will be understood that chai'iges involving omission, substitution, alteration and reversal of parts, and even cl'iai'iges in the inode ot' operation, can he made Without departing from rthe ,scope of my invention, which is 'best defined in the following claims.

Claims: 1. A valve for sprinkler systems comprising in combination a cylinder having an inlet conduit, and a discharge conduit,vt\vo connected pistons in said' cylinder, one of lutiicient water passes throughA in-g said 2. A valve for sprinkler 4systems comprisi ing in combination tvvo coaxial cylinders of' different diameters, three connected pistons, two in the large-r cylinder -and one in the smaller cylinder, a Water inlet conduit lbetween said larger pistons, a discharge conduit containing Huid under pressure operating on one face of one'of said larger pistons,

and a conduit providing water pressure on an opposing face of said smaller piston.

3. A valve for sprinkler.systems'compris-,

ing in combination a cylinder having a Water inlet conduit and a discharge conduit, a valve piston normally separating said inlet conduit from said discharge conduit, a sec- -ond piston normally balancingthe Water pressure on said valve piston, and means actuated by opening movement of said valve piston for admittingpressure fluid to the' opposite side of said second piston to actu'ate further opening movement of Isaid Valve piston.

4. A sprinkler valve comprising in combination the cylinder 3, the inlet,A pipe 1l, the discharge pipe 5, the piston 10 normally separating said pipes 4 and 5, the piston 9 normally *balancing the water pressure on .said piston 10, and ithe cylinder S coaxiall with said cylinder 3 and containing the piston 12, said piston l2 shifting saidl piston 10 on reduction of pressure. in the pipe 5.

o. A sprinkler valve comprising in comloinal'tion a water inlet conduit, a discharge conduit, valve means normally separating said/conduits, valve shifting means for shittvalvc means. on reduction of pressure in said discharge conduit, water alarm means, and supplementary valve shifting means operative with initiation of operation ot' said water alarm'means.

l'n 4testimony whereof, I have signed my naine to this specification.

DWIGHT/r. KILGOUR.

ico 

